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Clock Ticks on Government Shutdown; Oscar De La Hoya Visits Iraq; More Negotiations in Ivory Coast

Aired April 06, 2011 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is 10:00 a.m. on the East Coast and 7:00 a.m. on the west. I'm Carol Costello, in for Kyra Phillips. Some top stories we're following.

A former congressman's return to Libya. Curt Weldon heads to Tripoli for a serious chat with Moammar Gadhafi.

No more negotiations in Ivory Coast. Opposition forces on a final assault on the home of the long-time leader.

And rallying the troops around the flag. Boxing champ Oscar De La Hoya is back from a USO tour in Iraq and he'll tell us all about it in just 20 minutes.

No deal on the federal budget but did you really think there would be? The deadline on Friday at 11:59 Eastern p.m. and if Republicans and Democrats cannot make a deal, the federal government will shut down.

Here are a few of the ways you will feel it. Looking forward to your tax refund? "The New York Times" says the IRS might stop sending checks. The National Weather Service will keep watching dangerous storms but it might not deliver services like the five-day forecast. And you may have to postpone that trip to a national park. They could close along with some museums. Passport applications could be held up, too. Now, the president is telling Congress to act like grown-ups but he's not the only one talking tough.

Here is what a Republican Congressman Paul Broun told me last hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL BROUN (R), GEORGIA: I got a challenge for the president. Start acting like a leader. He has been absent and finally came to the table yesterday. We have been dealing with this for months and months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Brianna Keilar is live on Capitol Hill. And Brianna, a lot of finger pointing. So what are the major sticking points here?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it has to do, of course, with the number, how much in the way of spending cuts are there going to be, Carol. But there's also another important thing to consider. Actually, hot button social issues have come into play. There are policy provisions in what Republicans want.

For instance, they want to defund health care reform. The president's signature legislative item. They want to defund planned parenthood. And so you see abortion comes into the mix there. They want to target the Environmental Protection Agency, not a hot button social issue but obviously something that Republicans don't really favor the EPA and Democrats want to defend it.

There are also cuts to the head start program, something that Democrats are saying is, you know, very difficult for them to swallow. So a few moving parts here, Carol.

COSTELLO: So we know those are very emotional issues, by the way. So were we any closer to a deal at all if those kinds of issues are on the table?

KEILAR: Well, democratic sources told us the meeting between Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid yesterday that it was kind of going in the right direction. The fact that there was a meeting scheduled between them in the White House today should be taken as a good sign but I got to tell you I was just watching the Senate floor and we saw Reid on the floor really skewering Republicans accusing them of moving the goal posts in these negotiations and then we saw Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, accusing Democrats of sitting by the sidelines and rooting for a shutdown. So there you go. Rhetoric continues and negotiations continues.

COSTELLO: Sounds ugly. But what about another stop-gap spending measure? Another like extension? I mean, will the president actually go along with that?

KEILAR: Well, right now, House Republicans have proposed a one week stop-gap spending measure. Here's the thing, it includes $12 billion in cuts. That is six times the amount of cuts that they have negotiated for the past several weeks. Obviously, Democrats have a problem with that. They say it's a non-starter.

President Obama yesterday said he wouldn't be on board with that or he almost everything but ruled it out. He said he would consider a stop-gap measure at current levels if there could be an agreement on the long-term spending bill and that would really just be a way to kind of tide Congress over until they could kind of get all of the logistics done on the long-term deal.

So, right now, it's kind of up in the air but he is sort of pooh-poohing what House Republicans have proposed.

COSTELLO: Got you. Brianna Keilar, live on Capitol Hill.

A former congressman is in Libya right now, meeting with Moammar Gadhafi. Curt Weldon met the colonel on an official visit back in 2004. This times around his trip is private. He writes in the "New York Times," "Our purpose is to meet with Colonel Gadhafi today and persuade him to step aside. I've met him enough times to know that it will be very hard to simply bomb him into submission." Weldon talked to CNN affiliate WPIX before the meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CURT WELDON, FORMER CONGRESSMAN: I'm here to tell him face-to- face it's time for him to leave. It's time for him to step down, allow the people to take over the government of this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Weldon says Gadhafi's chief of staff invited him and that the White House and Congress do know about his trip. CNN's Nic Robertson is live in Tripoli. So we want to talk more about this Nic, Weldon has Gadhafi experience, so to speak, can he really make something happen though?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They just switched -

COSTELLO: Well, obviously, Nic Robertson couldn't hear me. But we will try to get back to Nic when we have all the technical issues worked out. Sorry about that.

CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend visited high ranking Libyan officials last year. They invited her. We will get her take on Curt Weldon's visit, that's coming up in just a few minutes.

Now for what is new in Japan this morning. U.S. government engineers are warning that some of the techniques being used to stabilize that damaged nuclear reactor in Japan could lead to new threats like explosions and ruptures. "The New York Times" reporting that the warnings are part of a confidential assessment report prepared by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

This morning, Tokyo Power Company officials are reporting some good news as these before and after pictures show, water is no longer gushing into the pacific from the number two reactor building.

Contaminated fish have a lot of people worried around the world.

Zain Verjee is live in London. So Zain, what are the global papers saying about that?

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, I was just flipping through "The China Daily" and they quote an expert at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and he says this. "The radiation level of the discharged water is low and ocean currents will take the water eastward away from China."

"The Wall Street Journal's" Asia edition has this headline, Carol. "Contaminated fish found off Japan's coast." "It says fears of radioactive Japanese fish, both at home and abroad, threaten to further hurt an industry already weakened by the tsunami. A couple of headlines of flavor for you in Asia. Carol.

COSTELLO: What are some of the other dangers people are talking about?

VERJEE: Well, there are quite a few. One of them is the containment of the structures themselves and that's being discussed a lot and whether there is too much stress on it. The other issues are things like vulnerability to ruptures, a danger of more explosions. One of the key things people are talking about is the issue with cooling, are they able to cool it effectively enough? Because the problem right now is that the water isn't able to get to the nuclear core as effectively. So it's not necessarily guaranteed to be working. So those are some of the things to keep your eye on.

COSTELLO: We will. Zain Verjee, live in London. Many thanks.

One fighter and a fighting force, boxer Oscar De La Joya spent some time with U.S. troops in Iraq. He'll give us the scoop on his tour, live, in jut 10 minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A check of stories making news across the country now. A car chase and shootout caught on tape in North Carolina. Now, two people, police describe as a modern day Bonnie and Clyde are in custody. They are suspected in four car thefts and three home invasions across three states.

Next in Lakewood, Colorado, police used pepper spray to calm a second grade boy's temper tantrum. The eight-year-old admits he was angry and he wanted to hurt his teachers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AIDAN, PEPPER SPRAYED AT SCHOOL: I wanted to make something sharp for like if they came out because I was so mad at them.

STEVE DAVIS, LAKEWOOD POLICE: The officers told him to drop it. He wouldn't.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There has been three times where they have called the police on him.

DAVIS: Our officers had to do something to diffuse the situation in a hurry before someone got hut.

MANDY, AIDAN'S MOM: I'm sure what he was doing wasn't right but he is eight years old.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: In Newport Beach, California, billionaire Richard Branson announces plans to explore the bottom of the sea in a solo submarine. He and explorer Chris Welch will take separate trips in the Virgin oceanic sub to the deepest parts of all five oceans.

Coming up, in the noon hour, CNN NEWSROOM's Suzanne Malveaux will actually talk to Richard Branson about his ambitious goals and so much more. We told a little earlier that a former congressman is in Libya right now, meeting with Moammar Gadhafi. Curt Weldon met the colonel on an official visit back in 2004. CNN's Nic Robertson is in Tripoli. I spoke to him earlier about the visit's significance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is something that's only just sort of beginning to emerge here. And it's quite possible that Libyans may not know about it. We might see pictures on state television if and when Kurt Weldon meets with Moammar Gadhafi tonight. But I think perhaps we can see that the ground is being cleared here. The way it's sort of being cleared as far as Gadhafi would like to see it cleared for him to meet with a U.S. representative, although Weldon says he is not here representing the White House, not here representing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

We're seeing that because it appears that Gadhafi is sending a message through the state news agency that the United States has, in his words, ended its bombing essentially in Libya by removing itself from the coalition crusader crusade as he describes it in a letter that is being reported as being sent to President Obama this time. So you can see how Gadhafi is making diplomatic space for himself here by saying "Well, the United States is no longer essentially at war with us so perhaps I can deal with them."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: We'll see.

Also on the topic of Libya. A law enforcement official tells CNN that the FBI is now talking with Libyans who live in the United States. Even though Tripoli and New York are more than 4,500 miles apart, those officials are looking out for possible threats to Americans.

Let's talk more about this with CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend. She was also a member of the CIA external advisory committee and visited high ranking Libyan officials at the invitation of the Libyan government last year, so Fran, you know what you're talking about.

So Fran, how real is the threat of Libyans living here in the United States doing something or knowing something?

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR (ON THE PHONE): Certainly, the concern, and I think rightly so, is the potential for the Libyan government to take action and retaliation for the U.S.'s participation in the no-fly zone. The reason that is a real threat, Carol is, one, we know that the Libyan government under Moammar Gadhafi has projected their power and used as a tool both in the (INAUDIBLE) disco bombing in Germany in the '80s and also later it was PanAm 103.

Now, second, threatened to retaliate for the no-fly zone against western powers including the U.S.. And so, frankly if the FBI didn't take that seriously given the history with Libya, (INAUDIBLE) responsible and so it makes perfect sense to me that they are looking to do two things by these interviews. One, to identify any threat. And second, you may actually find someone who is willing to cooperate with you who may have access to useful Information.

COSTELLO: Already some groups have come out, though, Fran. You know, groups that represent the Muslim community saying, you know, "You don't have to talk to the FBI without your attorney present and they are saying this is sort of profiling and unfair to ask Libyans living in the United States these questions.

TOWNSEND: Well, it is certainly true to say no one is required or compelled to speak to the FBI under any circumstances and frankly, the FBI typically, in an interview begins any interview by reminding people of that. So I think that's their comment. No one has to cooperate. But it's not profiling. What you're looking to do is gather information and if there is a potential threat, Libya, who else would you speak to but Libyans here in the United States who either may have insight into the threat, will be able to cooperate if they choose to do that with federal officials.

COSTELLO: And just quickly I want to ask you about this, about Curt Weldon's visit to Libya. He is talking with Moammar Gadhafi and supposedly Libyan television is reporting that Moammar Gadhafi sent President Obama a letter. What do you make of all of this?

TOWNSEND: Look, I think Gadhafi himself and his sons who got frankly the most to lose - Moammar Gadhafi is not going to be able to remain in power and so the question becomes - what is the transition plan? We see the same problem in Yemen with President Salaa. I think that Gadhafi now is exploring, ats the insistence and encouragement of his son to look for a way out, it allows them to remain in some sort of position of influence. Remember, a lot of their money has been frozen by U.S. officials. I think they probably are looking to get access to cash. They are looking for immunity from prosecution. The question is can they cut a deal.

COSTELLO: Understand. Fran Townsend, many thanks for your insight. Valuable, as always.

Rallying the troops around the flag. Boxing champ Oscar De La Hoya back from a USO tour to Iraq. He is with us live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Spending a week in a war zone isn't your average vacation but that is exactly what boxing champ Oscar De La Hoya just did as part of a USO tour. He and a group of fighters toured camps in Kuwait and Iraq to see what soldiers see day in and day out.

And Oscar now joins us live from Los Angeles to talk about that. Welcome.

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, BOXING CHAMP: Good morning, Carol. Thank you. COSTELLO: So why did you decide to do this?

DE LA HOYA: Well, I believe it was just long overdue. Obviously, our troops fight for our country, for our freedom. It allows me to do what I do inside the ring. And visiting Iraq was just an emotional feeling I had because our troops are there to really protect us and to make sure that we're OK over here and the experiences I had were unbelievable.

We went down to the most dangerous parts of Iraq that I requested to visit these troops that really don't normally get much attention like others. And it was, at first, a frightening experience when you land there, when you get there. You're flying over with - on the blackhawks and you land to these bases, but then you feel safe because these troops really care for your security, for your safety, and, you know, one of the commanding officers there told us a story where just the week before, a young troop was walking down the street and got killed by an IED and you know, those are the stories that sometimes we don't hear about over here. It just really touched me.

COSTELLO: I know you grew close to some of these soldiers. I mean, it sounds like that is surprised you that you were able to really get to know them in a short period of time. Can you share one more story with us?

DE LA HOYA: Well, we must have visited about 8,000 to 9,000 troops. One of the touching stories that really impacted me was one of the - one of the commanding officers there was very honored and, obviously, he's been on his third term there serving for our country there in Iraq. His son was deployed to his base, to his - where he was in charge, and, you know, he was so thrilled and happy that his son was there with him, but, at the same time, he was telling me of how frightening it is to think that his family, his blood is there with him fighting whenever they have these calls and they are on call 24/7, whenever there's a bomb that goes off, he fears for his son's life and it's very difficult not to get emotional, he tells me.

These are just stories that really are - I mean, hit home because you hear about these every single day how troops are fighting for our freedom and our country. We must never forget what they do and we must never forget what the families have to go through.

Just the other day, one of the commanding officers contacted me, if I can contact the family of this fallen troop that got hit by the IED and, you know, we're going to go through the USO and the armed forces to get in contact the family and just talk to them and console them, because these are tough times.

COSTELLO: (INAUDIBLE) That would be so difficult but I'm glad you're doing it because it will mean a lot. You've had an Olympic medal hung around your neck. What was it like to hand out service medals to the troops?

DE LA HOYA: It was such a honor for me to - in one of the visits to the camp, they gave me the honor of handing over medals for soldiers who are ranked, are getting ranked up to a higher division. It was unbelievable. It was such an honor. To me, it was - winning Olympic gold medal for my country in 1992 and representing my country, the U.S.A., was such a big thrill and an honor.

But to be there with the troops, experiencing what they are experiencing doing, even if it was for a week, was the biggest moment and the biggest thrill of my life. The best experience I've ever had. The most - the biggest honor, because these soldiers really, they truly believe and they truly, deep down inside, feel that they must and they have to protect our freedom.

I mean, what that means to us is - I mean, sometimes we take it for granted and we must never forget that these soldiers are there risking their lives every single minute to protect our country. I mean, that's a true hero for you.

COSTELLO: That's terrific. And thank you so much for sharing your experiences. Oscar de la Hoya, we enjoyed the conversation.

DE LA HOYA: I appreciate it. Thank you very much.

COSTELLO: And by the way, Oscar wrote a special piece about his USO trip for CNN.com. Log on, check out the opinion page for more on his trip, a trip that changed his -

Actress Angelina Jolie is drawing attention to the thousands of Libyans forced to flee their country. And we're getting a first hand look at the refugee crisis underway on the Tunisian border. "Showbiz Tonight" host A.J. Hammer live in New York with more on that and more. Hi, A.J.

A.J.HAMMER, HOST "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Hi there, Carol. Angelina Jolie takes her job as a U.N. ambassador very seriously. This is definitely no vanity project for her. She made a surprise appearance at the refugee camps at the Tunisian border of Libya and she toured the came that holds the Tunisia camps and toured a camp that holds thousands of Libyan refugees and she got a chance to meet with many of them. She did something similar in Afghanistan recently. Staying involved and helping out wherever she can is very important to her and has been for a long time. But, Carol, of course, it does not make her immune from ongoing rumor and speculation.

COSTELLO: Oh, geez.

HAMMER: The latest headline Angelina has added a new tattoo that some people think indicate she and Brad Pitt will be adopting another child. Something Carol, that Angelina has denied but she will always putting up with that no matter how much good work she does in the world.

COSTELLO: That's true. It sells magazines and blog sites.

Conan O'Brien, who knew he was such a big Larry King fan.

HAMMER: Now we know. It is nice to see that our friend Larry King has taken on a new kind of a challenge after leaving his daily show on CNN. Let's watch what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST "CONAN": That's why tonight, I am thrilled to announce that Larry is back with a brand-new show and here is the best part - it's going to be broadcast from the rafters of my studio. So, now, live from 30 feet above me, Larry King! Larry!

LARRY KING, FMR. CNN HOST: Hey, Conan! We're going to take some - we're going to take some phone calls. Steve from Grover Falls, Minnesota, you're on with Larry King.

Hi, Larry. Great show tonight.

O'BRIEN: Larry, I'm sorry. Do you think you could turn the volume down a little. I'm cool with you doing a show, trust me. I've never seen your legs before!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: I guess we learned that Larry is not afraid of heights there, Carol.

COSTELLO: No.

HAMMER: It's the first time I believe the audience at large has seen Larry King's legs. I got to tell you I've seen them before but I think that America now got to see Larry's legs for the first time.

COSTELLO: I've seen him in person before and I've never seen his legs either! Just kidding.

HAMMER: No, you don't hang out in the same kind of places that Larry and I hang out in. I don't know what it means and why I'm saying that.

COSTELLO: I don't either but it was funny somehow. A.J., thank you, as always.

If you want information on everything breaking in the entertainment world, A.H. has it tonight on "Showbiz Tonight" at 5:00 p.m. Eastern and 11:00 p.m. Eastern on HLN.

Making amends for the worst oil spill disaster in U.S. history. Ahead we will tell you what the executives of the company that owned the deep water horizon oil rig are doing to help the families of the 11 workers who were killed.

Also ahead, warnings from the U.S. nuclear experts about Japan's troubled nuclear plant. There could be new threats that linger indefinitely. That's coming up, too.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking our top stories now. Sandbags the name of the game, up and down the Red River where warming temperatures are melting snow and creating flood worries down river.

The FAA is ordering airlines flying older 737s to inspect them more often. It comes days after a Southwest 737 had to make an emergency landing when that hole opened up in the roof.

NFL players get their day in court today. A federal judge could issue an injunction to end the league lockout and allow the NFL season to begin as scheduled. Or not.

Stock market opening bell rang just about an hour ago. So, let's check on the numbers. Ooh! We are just up above 40 points. Not bad. Not great either. But it's not bad.

Top executives at the company that owned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig are trying to make amends for the worst oil disaster in U.S. history. They will donate a quarter-million dollars in safety bonuses to the families of 11 workers killed when that rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico last April.

Alison Kosik is here with more details in today's currency report. Alison?

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Carol, just want to dial back and let you know how this began. Back on Monday, Transocean came out with a statement saying, quote, "In 2010, we recorded the best year in safety performance in our company's history." Of course, that is when we had that oil spill in the Gulf. And Transocean actually wound up apologizing. The explosion in the Gulf was 2010 actually. But Transocean wound up apologizing later on Monday.

Now, today, they are actually doing something about it with five senior executives. They are donating their safety bonuses to charities that compensate families of accident victims, which means they are donating about $250,000. They also put out a statement saying they made this decision because they believe it is the right thing to do, that nothing is more important to Transocean than their people "and it was never our intent to diminish the effect the Macondo tragedy has had on the ones who lost loved ones."

The press release also, curiously, they say they are voluntarily donating the money. You know, I have a question here, you know, if it's voluntary and it's the right thing to do it, why not do it in the first place?

COSTELLO: I was just going to say that! How deaf can you be?

KOSIK: Yes, it's a big duh, right? I know. Duh. You know, there's also another part to this. They are not donating their entire bonus. They are only donating the portion they received where their stellar safety record in 2010. That's 25 percent of their total bonuses. COSTELLO: OK, I'm getting nauseous now.

KOSIK: They're getting a portion. I guess applaud them for that. I know.

COSTELLO: No. I don't applaud them.

KOSIK: They did such poor PR on this, they are back- pedaling. What can I tell you?

COSTELLO: Yes, I Know. On another topic, I hear some homeowners are actually turning their houses into billboards?

KOSIK: This is very creative, to say the least. You can go ahead and turn your home into a giant billboard. And get your mortgage paid in the process. This is an offer from a start-up company called Adzookie. And here's how it works. Look how colorful they are.

You let the company come on over and paint its logo all over your house in really bright colors. So, sure, you can be the laughing stock of your neighborhood, but you'll be laughing all the way to the bank, Carol because they wind up paying your mortgage up to one year.

What you're seeing there, though, is a mock-up. There haven't been any homes actually painted just yet. This launched just yesterday.

And can you imagine in just a few hours the company got 1,000 applicants? In all seriousness here, it's another sign, Carol, of the dire straits many people are living in. They're willing to paint their house like this to get their mortgage payments done.

COSTELLO: I can certainly --

KOSIK: It's creative, though.

COSTELLO: It's very creative. And I can understand why people would do that, although I'm not sure their neighbors would be very happy. But, hey, whatever you have to do, you have to do.

KOSIK: I know. Like I said, they will laugh all the way to the bank.

COSTELLO: Yes. Alison Kosik, thank you.

President Obama has launched his re-election bid. Can he reconnect with the young voters who energized his first campaign? We'll talk about that just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking stories across the country now.

In Florida, a rookie officer quick action caught on a dash cam videotape. Take a look. He rolls up on a two-car accident, drags the driver out of one of the cars moments before the car - look at it - the car just explodes. This is a rookie. He was calm in the face of danger. And he is a hero today.

In Rhode Island, a woman whose credit card was stolen receives a thank-you note from the alleged thief but not before he racked up $2,400 in charges. And get this. Then he racked up another $65 That was the tab for delivering flowers to the victim's home! Police have yet to make an arrest.

And from Gotham, Marvel Comic's best-known crime fighters are teaming up with New York City firefighters to battle a common enemy. Preventable fires. The comic book is chock-full of fire safety tips and free while supplies last.

Turning now to Japan. U.S. nuclear experts sent to help with the disaster are now warning of a very serious new threat at the nuclear plant, suggesting some of the same steps used to stabilize things could cause harm. Lasting harm. "The New York Times" is reporting the warnings are part of a confidential assessment prepared by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

CNN's Martin Savidge joins us from Tokyo with more details on this. So, fill us in, Martin.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, there is really some rather dire predictions coming as a result of these international scientists coming together and talking about what could potentially happen with the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Let's talk about some of the mounting stresses.

Well, those reactors out there have already have had a earthquake, 9.0. They've already had a tidal wave and suffered a number of explosions. And then on top of that, tons and tons of water poured on them for weeks at a time. So, the concern you could have some major collapse structurally that could release heavy form of radiation. Vulnerability to rupture. Well, these storage tanks they are trying to put all that highly contaminated radioactive water. The truth is, they don't know if they are cracked, if they're leaking, if the pipes broken. And there are still many aftershocks. We had one just a short while ago. So, that too could cause a major problem.

Possibility of explosion. And it is still a possibility. Some of those reactors could produce hydrogen, which is highly explosive. In fact, right now, going on TEPCO are injecting nitrogen into the containment facility of reactor number one to try to suppress the possibility of an explosion.

And then of course, the real question is, qater getting to the cores of these reactors. Are they really keeping them cool? In some cases, they really don't know at this particular point, Carol. So, it's a whole laundry list of potential things that can still go really bad.

COSTELLO: In the meantime, the people living around that plant, making their living around that plant are -- they have to be outraged. I mean, what about the Japanese fishermen? SAVIDGE: Right. The fishermen are just the latest of those who are furious at TEPCO. We had the farmers and those that work on land and how their lives have been disrupted, their livelihoods changed.

Now with the fishermen, it is the same thing. The Fisheries Association today filed a formal protest with TEPCO. They are absolutely livid over the release of this low-level radioactive water going out over several days. They're saying, look, you're killing our livelihood, literally. No one, not even in Japan is going to want to eat seafood, and especially outside of Japan, many countries are not import it.

And remember, they were already suffering as thousands of their boats had either been ruined or damaged as a result of the tsunami. They say this is just the finishing thing.

COSTELLO: Marty Savidge, live in Tokyo, thanks so much.

President Obama has launched his re-election bid. Can he reconnect with the young voters who first energized his campaign? We will talk about it next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: President Obama has launched his re-election bid with a campaign video sent out in an e-mail blast. Of course, the technique we all reminiscent of the president's heavy use of social media during his 2008 campaign. And that really helped energize younger voters.

Comedy writer and founder of The FullGinsberg.com, Eric Cunningham, wrote an opinion piece for CNN.com. Hi, Eric. We'll get to you in a second.

I just want to say, you think the president may need to up his game to re-energize those young voters this time around. Maybe something more along the lines of this video with T-Pain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Basically, we got 80 percent agreement.

T-PAIN, RAPPER: We got 80 percent agreement.

OBAMA: 47 million Americans who don't have any health insurance.

T-PAIN: No health insurance at all -

OBAMA: I'm not the first president to take up this cause. But I'm determined to be the last. T-PAIN: Determined to be the last!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That YouTube thing got more hits than the president's e-mail video blast. You might expect that. But I mean, does he need to up his game that much?

ERIC CUNNINGHAM, THEFULLGINSBERG.COM: I mean, well, he probably doesn't need to autotune himself, I don't think. But that video does show something that a lot of young people really like; the autotuning is something that people forward to each other and post on Facebook, and it's something that is easily spreadable. And I think, most importantly, it's just a fun thing that really resonates with young people. And I think if Obama wants to get young people energized again, he needs to show more of that fun side --

COSTELLO: Well, exactly, because let's face it. Let's face it. A lot of the young supporters this time around, a lot them have graduated from college and they're facing really high unemployment. They can't find jobs. And things like, you know, environmental concerns really haven't been met. We still have the two wars going on, plus Libya. And these are things that young people really want to get taken care of that have, in their view, have not been taken care of. So, how difficult will it be for the president to reconnect with them?

CUNNINGHAM: Absolutely. Those are very important issues, and I think young people also deeply care about them. But they want to know things are going to be OK. So, for example I think young people do know that Obama is working on it. He has all of these teams together. He is not sitting around on the job. But they also need to know that Obama is enjoying being the -- the president is someone they can relate to.

They need -- I think, young people really resonate more -- really connect more when they feel something positive and uplifting. So, kind of that 2008 Obama as opposed to the 2010 Obama, which is more doom and gloom. Which obviously means there are serious issues, but we also need to know things are going to work out.

COSTELLO: OK, so short answer, is there any politician out there that young people are really connecting with? Democrat or Republican?

CUNNINGHAM: I think if Obama, if he gets back in a fun spirit, people will connect with him. On the Republican side, probably Mike Huckabee. Has that same kind of folksy -- he is somebody who is clearly having fun out there. He's somebody who really - he goes off book a lot, and I think that is something that people spread to each other on Facebook, they like talking about that kind of thing.

COSTELLO: Eric Cunningham, many thanks for joining us this morning.

CUNNINGHAM: All right. President obama is beefing up his re-election team. One of the stories hot off the political ticker this morning. We want to get more on that from CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser. Were you listening to Eric?

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I was listening to Eric. I was. Fascinating stuff, Carol. It was such a big part of the last campaign in 2008. Going to be as big a player this time around.

But, Carol, you asked about it. The president, remember, it was just Monday he announced his re-election campaign, so only natural they are beefing up staff. And I confirmed that a guy named Ben LeBolt, he was with the president when he was the senator from Illinois, he was with him in that '08 run for the White House and in the White House himself. Now, Ben Lebolt joining as press secretary for the campaign. So, just another sign out in Chicago, right there on Grant Park, they are beefing up at the HQ which is only natural, Carol. You know, they will be hear more from them the next year-and- a-half, obviously.

COSTELLO: Something else we are hearing a lot about the money being raised. Of course, you know, President Obama supposedly raising a billion dollars for his re-election run. So, where do things stand now money-wise?

STEINHASUER: Yes, they are already touting some initial numbers. No surprise, I guess they want to get out the message. But the president announced on Monday, remember he did it online? Since then, the campaign is telling us that in the first 24 hours, they raised the contributions, 23,000 contributions. And most of that, they are saying, is from small-time donors. $200 or less in those contributions and those donations.

And that's interesting, Carol, because you know what? You're going to hear a lot from the president or at least see him a lot in the next couple of weeks at some of these high-profile, big dollar fundraisers but, at the same time, I think the campaign wants to say, wait a minute. Average Americans are also contributing. It was a big amount of money they raised the last time around, and I don't think they want that loss there. They want that message to be out there it's not just big fat cats giving money to the president, but also small-time donors. And Carol, we're going to see similar money numbers, I guess, coming soon from the Republican side as well.

COSTELLO: Yes, that's right. A dollar is a dollar is a dollar.

STEINHASUER: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Paul Steinhauser, thank you.

We'll have your next political update in one hour. And a reminder, for all the latest political news, go to our Web site, CNNpolitics.com. Are you the kind of person who can go to bed late, get up early and still function efficiently? If so, I admire you. And there's also a name for you. That story is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Our "Daily Dose" starts with kids and cat scans. A study finds a sharp increase in the number of CT scans kids get this day. That number shot up fivefold between 1995 and 2008. Doctors say more caution needs to be taken because children are more vulnerable to the radiation in CAT scans than adults are.

And today, "The Wall Street Journal" writes about another study of a rare group of people. Between one and three percent that can actually function normally on very little sleep. They are called natural short sleepers. The study also finds them to be energetic, outgoing, optimistic and ambitious, which explains why I'm not a short sleeper.

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy says nothing in life prepares you to be famous. England's Prince William was born into it, so how does he and his bride-to-be escape from time to time? CNN's Max Foster says not very easily.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): When Kate and William were students, their social life revolved around pubs.

JAMIE ANDERSON, BAR MANAGER, MA BELLE: You saw the affectionation there. Definitely a loving couple. You could tell they were very happy together.

FOSTER: They still like pubs. This one is near Kate's country home, and the landlord's even been invited to the wedding.

FOSTER: When they are out on the town, though, in London, it's all about discretion. Kate and William restrict themselves to small, select, members-only bars. Like this one in Chelsea.

RICHARD DENNEN, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, TATLER: I think they are extremely about the people they hang out with. You know, they really trust their friends. I would say they don't actually have that many friends, understandably, you know. they have got old friends.

FOSTER (off camera): A close group they are comfortable with?

DENNEN: Yes, definitely.

FOSTER : Of all their hangouts, this is probably the royal couple's longstanding favorite. It is Buge. This is the corner they will often be found sitting in and, of course, lots of privacy from the rest of the club. This is Buge's signature drink. It's vodka-based with passionate fruit and raspberry flavors, topped off with champagne and it's one of the couple's favorite.

(voice-over): William and Kate never announce themselves before they come. But when they do arrive, they are whisked in as honorary members. I.e., they don't pay. No cameras allowed, which is we could only film when it's empty.

But there's no protection once they leave. Fair game for the paparazzi.

DENNEN: She was famous for always nipping into the bathroom and checking her hair and makeup before she left because she knew there were photographers waiting outside.

FOSTER: Kate and William understand all too well how much interest there is in them. But they are essentially private people. It won't come naturally for them to be the center of potentially the biggest media event in history -- their wedding.

Max Foster, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSETLLO: Coming up in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM, Richard Branson is always pushing the envelope when it comes for exploration, from trying to fly people into outer space to his new plan to explore the depths of the ocean. Suzanne Malveaux will talk to him live about his lofty goals. That's coming up in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM with Suzanne Malveaux.

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COSTELLO: This year, South by Southwest Music Festival has people talking about more than just rock 'n' roll. Here is CNN Tom Foreman with our "Building Up America."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The South by Southwest festival in Austin is a hot bed not just for music but also for innovation. Twitter, Foursquare and many other tech sensations made early big splashes here. So during this year's festival, CNN.com invited innovators from around the country to pitch their ideas during a short ride in a pedicab.

MAX MULLEN, BOUNCER: Hi. My name is Max Mullen, I worked on something called Bouncer, it's built (ph) for e-mail addresses so you can shorten, share and protect your e-mail address.

ALLISON ETTEL, FLY BY MILES: Hi. My name is Allison Ettel (ph) and I'm with Fly by Miles. Booking frequent flier tickets is a nightmare. So we decided to solve that problem by instantly having real time availability of frequent flier seats and be able to book it all from our sites.

ROLAND DILLON: My name is Roland Dylan and I'm representing "Trip Medi" (ph). Our idea is to make medical tourism available to everyone.

FOREMAN: This is more than just interesting. This town and a growing number of others have realized the relatively low investment high return possibility of tech can be enormous draws for young talent.

MAYOR LEE LEFFINGWELL, AUSTIN TEXAS: We have a very strong creative sector here and that's due to a well-educated young workforce and a large component of artists, musicians, people in software business.

FOREMAN: And those people in turn can fuel real estate markets, push tax revenues and build up many more traditional industries all by starting with one idea at a time.

Tom Foreman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Nice.

Looking at stories that will make news later today on CNN. Actor Alec Baldwin will be in Washington in just a few minutes to help introduce the Fair Elections Now Act. It will help qualify candidates who need money to run for election, get grants, matching funds and free TV time.

At noon, Minnesota Congressman Michele Bachmann will speak at a rally in Washington, calling on the government to cut spending and avoid a government shutdown.

Also at noon Eastern, in California, lawyers for Dr. Conrad Murray, the man charged in Michael Jackson's death, will ask a judge for access to some important medical records.

Now it's time for NEWSROOM to continue, but with Suzanne Malveaux. I'll be over there in ten minutes to talk baseball.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Come on over. We want to hear what you got to say. Thanks, Carol.